A young Galway footballer is to feature in a new documentary series on RTÉ television next week.

Luke Barry from Knocknacarra, who plays with the Galway United Under 15s, will  appear in Football Families, a three-part documentary series featuring promising young talent from across the country as they strive to make it as professional footballers.

Luke, the son of Alma and Tomy Barry, played with his local Knocknacarra FC soccer club before signing for Galway United’s Under 15s academy squad,

He will feature in the third and final episode on RTÉ One next Thursday, August 14, at 10.10pm.

The series mainly concentrates on Shelbourne FC and the programme makers were given unique behind-the-scenes access to the club, filmed during their historic 2024 season under then manager Damien Duff.

For Shelbourne fans, 2024 was the stuff of dreams, with both the men and women’s senior teams winning titles, and the underage squads making a big impact throughout the elite development leagues.

Each episode of Football Families tells the stories of different young players and their families, whose lives revolve around football.

These teenagers are committed to achieving their dreams in the face of extreme pressure, injuries, and setbacks as they endeavour to make it to the dog-eat-dog world of professional football. The chances of that for many are slim.

Shelbourne Academy Director Colm Barron said: “Stats prove that there’s a lot of players who don’t make it. That percentage that have that mental focus, that resilience to get through — it’s not one in a hundred, it’s one in ten thousand.”

At the heart of the programme are the young players and their families from across the country, who gather on the sidelines, chat around the kitchen table over dinner, and go above and beyond to give everything to the game.

These young players are hard-working and determined, from diverse backgrounds and ethnicities, and all have the same dream of being scouted or signed in Ireland or further afield. Their stories highlight the pressure they are under as they cope with the harsh reality of elite level football.

Pictured: Luke Barry…stars in new documentary series.